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The 43rd annual Peanut Fest went off beautifully over the weekend, and it was all thanks to the hard work of an unbelievably small paid staff and a cadre of dedicated volunteers who pulled it together in about a third of the time they normally get.

And though the festival was shortened from four days to three, and there was a bit of rain throughout the weekend, it was still well attended and featured all of the fun things people have come to know and love about the festival.

There were the performances from local schools and groups, as well as national acts on the main stage. A variety of tribute bands threw it back to the 1980s with portrayals of Prince, Earth Wind & Fire, Elton John, a variety of country and rock songs, and more.

There were the crowd favorites including the Shrimp Feast, the demolition derby and the Peanut Butter Sculpture Contest.

There were the special nods to ’80s culture including the straw maze converted into a Pac-Man frenzy and the roller skating rink.

There were, of course, all the rides, games, food and treats one could handle.

“You work really hard to put something together,” said chairman Theresa Earles, “and then when it comes together, it brings you a sense of accomplishment and joy and you see people having a good time.”

That pretty much encapsulates our sentiments about Peanut Fest. After last year’s festival was canceled due to the pandemic, organizers got the go-ahead to produce this year’s festival only about four months ago. Typically, they start planning for the next year’s festival as the last amusement ride rolls off the lot the prior year, so that was a drastically shortened time frame.

However, they really pulled it off this year, and we couldn’t be more grateful for all their hard work, and for fun events happening again.